BANGKOK, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's North-Eastern Provincial Governor Somsak Jangtrukul on Thursday ordered the hunt for two to three black bears suspected of attacking at least five villagers in the province.

The black bears must have been very hungry, said the governor, emphasizing to national park officials not to kill the bears and "capture them alive," so they can be released into the wild.

Somsak said they can not kill the bears which are listed as endangered species, telling villagers where the bears frequented to stay indoor

The governor said none of the villagers were seriously injured, including a pregnant woman.

Villagers also showed Thai TV camera crews the different sizes of foot prints left by the visiting black bears.

Meanwhile, the Protected Areas Regional Office 8 (Khon Kaen) under the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department, had dispatched around 100 officials and forest rangers out to search for the hungry bears.

The forest rangers have brought with them firecrackers to scare the bears off to ensure they won't return to attack anyone.

After the animals were captured, officers would determine if they are wild bears or illegally raised in captivity, the governor said. Enditem

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